Comic writers reflect on Stan Lee who introduced comic book characters and heroes of color during an
321 views · Published 20 November 2018 · 4:25 · Indexed 13 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · Entertainment
(15 Nov 2018) MARVEL'S STAN LEE WIELDED HIS PEN WITH PURPOSE Stan Lee, the master and creator behind Marvel Comics' biggest superheroes, died at age 95 on Monday (12 NOV. 2018). As fans celebrate his contributions to the pop culture canon, some comic writers and illustrators of color have also revisited how Lee felt that with his comic books came great responsibility. The Marvel wizard used his pen to conquer such real-world foes as racism and xenophobia. Freelance writer Alex Simmons said Lee introduced several comic book characters of color during and following the civil rights movement. "Whether he did it for purely social commentary reasons or to be a good guy, to be a hero himself, to be a leader of a movement, I don't know. But what you look at is what he enabled to occur," Simmons said. Since the 1960s, Lee advocated for tolerance through the only platform he had: the comic book pages. It was on those pages that he wrote "Stan's Soapbox" columns preaching against bigotry and that he introduced characters of color. While Marvel's representation of minorities in comics hasn't been without its stereotyping hiccups, there's no denying Lee broadened the image of the quintessential superhero. "People want to see themselves represented in their mythology," Simmons said. "They want to enjoy that and they want to know that the fantasies about what I'd love to be able to do or what my kids would like to be able to do is represented out there in the world." Under Lee's leadership, Marvel Comics introduced a generation of comic book readers to an African prince who rules a mythical and technologically advanced kingdom, a black ex-con whose brown skin repels bullets and the X-Men, a group of heroes whose superpowers are as different as their cultural backgrounds. The works and ideas of Lee and the artists behind T'Challa, the Black Panther; Luke Cage, Hero for Hire; and Professor Xavier's band of merry mutants — groundbreaking during the 1960s and 1970s — have become a cultural force breaking down barriers to inclusion. Still, there was some pushback by white comics distributors when it came to black heroes and characters. Some bundles of Marvel Comics were sent back because some distributors weren't prepared for the Black Panther and the phenomenal super African kingdom of Wakanda developed by artist and co-creator Jack Kirby. Illustrator and writer Shawn Martinbrough, who asked by Marvel to write miniseries "Luke Cage Noir", reimagined the character of Cage as a hero during the Harlem Renaissance in his version. Martinbrough sought to update the 1970s version of the character, which is now seen as being inspired by the "Blaxploitation" era. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9ba9b267fc4075ba12a6a7ac5e628cae
